What happened
We Are Barnsley reported on 10 November 2026 that police are warning about fraudulent callers claiming to be from South Yorkshire Police. A police spokesperson said seven reports were received of calls displaying the number 01226 736394, which is connected to a Barnsley police station but has been fraudulently spoofed by the callers. The callers say they are detectives and know personal details about the person they ring, and some calls refer to cryptocurrency. Police say the calls have not come from them, advise people not to answer calls from that number or give personal or financial details, and to hang up and call 101 to verify. Anyone who provided details is urged to contact their bank and report to Report Fraud.
How the scam works
Caller ID can be spoofed, so a number that belongs to a real police station can appear on the handset even when the call is not coming from the police. According to the police spokesperson quoted by We Are Barnsley, the callers say they are detectives, already know personal details, and in some cases mention cryptocurrency — a combination often used to create urgency and then ask for money, card details or a transfer to "protect" or "investigate" funds.
South Yorkshire Police say the calls have not come from them. Hang up. Do not call the number back. Verify any claimed police contact by ringing 101 yourself, and do not give personal or financial details on an inbound call. Anyone who already provided details should contact their bank and report the incident to Report Fraud.
Source
Source, 10 November 2026: https://www.wearebarnsley.com/news/21420/police-warn-of-fraudulent-calls-impersonating-barnsley-detectives
